Renewing ashtray or compartment housing — VW
Renewing ashtray or compartment housing on VW: 8 steps, 1 torque figure. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm, what to check after.
Workshop procedure for VW — the exact step sequence and torque figures, straight from real workshop data.
🧭 Before you start
Fits: platform codes 5M1, 521
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft) | Remove the four bolts (2 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- Switch off ignition.
- Release selector lever boot from cover 37.
- Release selector lever boot from cover 34.
- Release selector insulation (1) from centre console.
- Remove the four bolts (2) (1.5 Nm). — 1.5 Nm (1.1 lb-ft)
- Pull front centre console cover (1) out of front mountings in centre console.
- Depending on vehicle equipment level, disconnect wiring harness connectors.
- Depending on vehicle equipment, remove switches and blind covers in cover.
Other VW procedures
- Removing engine · 41 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshaft – VW Golf Cabriolet · 47 torque figures
- Adjusting valve timing – VW Passat B5 · 83 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshafts – VW Passat B6 · 39 torque figures
- Removing and installing coolant pump · 53 torque figures
- Removing and installing steering rack, left-hand drive vehicle (2nd generation) up to model year 2008
- Repairing outer retaining tab – VW Polo 9N · 3 torque figures
- Topping up gear oil in bevel box · 1 torque figures
- Removing and installing seat trim on sill side (seat without height adjustment) · 3 torque figures
- Removing and installing drive shaft, constant velocity joint, plug-in connection · 1 torque figures
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.